


what happens now

by sleeping_dragons



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, I promise, Mentions of War, Multi, There will be fluff, Trauma, nothing graphic, rated like that just in case
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:00:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24175480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleeping_dragons/pseuds/sleeping_dragons
Summary: In the aftermath of a war, when everything calms down, what do you do when everything you've been working for is achieved? A series of slice of life following Harry after the war, and the decisions he has to make.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley
Kudos: 3





	what happens now

Harry wakes up to a sharp tapping noise and sunlight illuminating Ron's room. He fumbles for his glasses - knocking over a stack of books in the process - and is greeted by the not-quite-welcome sight of a Ministry owl. He has to remind himself that he's not a wanted man anymore, that the Ministry is now what it's supposed to be and not a shell barely containing people who want him dead.

He opens the window to let the owl in, untying the letter while it takes a drink out of Pidwidgeon's dish. It's addressed to him, in neat printed lettering. He turns it over, runs a thumb over the perfectly stamped wax seal.

He takes it downstairs to the kitchen.

Ron is staring at a letter of his own, absently feeding the owl a bit of his toast. He turns, looks up to meet Harry's eyes.

Together, they go find Hermione.

She is sitting in the living room, blanket around her shoulders, reading. She looks up to see the two boys standing uncertainly, holding their letters as though they're not sure how to open them.

She doesn't have a letter.

They sit themselves down next to her, squeezed onto the same couch they'd sat on confronting Scrimgeour more than a year ago.

Harry and Ron break the seals together. Hermione scans the letter over Ron's shoulder, while they both stare at the parchment in - not quite shock.

"Us? Aurors?" Ron finally breaks the silence, looking to his friends for confirmation that his eyes still work.

Harry nods. They'd known the Aurors needed to be rebuilt, and he knew Kingsley had been planning a fast track program, in fact, he'd been at the meeting when it was suggested, but it hadn't felt real, sitting around and discussing what would happen now that the whole structure of the wizarding world was in shambles.

"What do you think you'll do?" asked Kingsley. "Now that it's all over. 

Harry shrugged. He'd never thought this far, not when there was always a more immediate problem to be confronted. 

"Professor McGonagall mentioned you wanted to be an Auror."

"I did say that," Harry says, reflectively. Does he want to be an Auror? He'd said it on the spur of the moment, partly to annoy Umbridge. Having a career - 

"If that's something you still want," said Kingsley, watching him carefully, "I think you - all three of you - are more than qualified."

"Hold on - why didn't you get one?" Ron turns to Hermione, bewildered. "We - "

"I told Kingsley I wanted to go back to Hogwarts," she interrupts him. "I suppose he didn't bother. Besides, I don't think I want to be an Auror."

Ron looks as though he's about to question it, then clamps his mouth firmly shut.

"It'll be odd without you two, of course, " she continued, as though everything was already decided. "But I think I can manage for a year. I just - " she takes a deep breath. "I just want to finish it properly, you know? As normally as I can? There's so much more to learn if I'm going to do any good in the world."

Ron slips an arm over her shoulders wordlessly, resting his head on top of hers. She smiles and leans into him.

Harry stares unseeing at the flowing script on the letter, signed off by Kingsley. He folds it neatly, creasing the edges carefully, and slips it back into the envelope.

"Are you going to do it?" Ron asks.

"I'm going to think about it."


End file.
